X-radiograph / Conservation work on Cauldron. © Trustees of the British
by Jamie Hood, British Museum
As work on the Chiseldon Iron Age cauldrons progresses the team are constantly making discoveries. Possibly the most exciting feature found so far is a decorated handle.
The decorated handle and section of rim came from a cauldron that had broken into several pieces during burial due to the weight of the overlying soil. Although they had used X-radiography to examine the handle fragment in its soil block before conservation, it was difficult to make out the surface due to the dense soil and corroded condition of the metal. This meant that when I was removing the soil I had to progress extremely slowly. However, it made discovering the decoration below especially exciting.
X-radiograph of the handle before conservation. © Trustees of the British Museum
The decoration consists of three curved plates that have been riveted below the rim on either side of and directly beneath the handle. The additional plates were carefully made and are likely not only to have been decorative, but also served to strengthen the point where the handle is attached.
Decorated handle after conservation. © Trustees of the British Museum
While the plates could represent abstract decoration they strongly resemble a cow’s head, with the side-plates representing ears, the central plate a muzzle and the handle taking the form of boldly curved horns. Stylised decoration inspired by the shape of animals was not uncommon in the Iron Age and its association with feasting in this context is particularly relevant. However, decoration on cauldrons is extremely rare and this is a significant and exciting discovery.
Three-dimensional image of the handle. © Trustees of the British Museum
To help with the interpretation Stephen Crummy, an illustrator from the Department of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum, has been scanning the decorated handle with a laser to make a three-dimensional image which will show its shape far more accurately and aid in creating a virtual reconstruction of the vessel.
Source: (with kind permission) British Museum News
More information:
The Chiseldon cauldrons were discovered in 2004 by Peter Hyams, a metal detectorist. Initially it wasn’t clear what the objects were or how old they might be, so they were left in the ground until a local historical society could conduct a small excavation. This revealed a vessel made from copper-alloy and iron, as well as copper-alloy from a second vessel. Excavations found a minimum of 12 fragmentary Iron Age metal cauldrons deliberately buried together in a pit with two cow skulls. The cauldrons were stacked or placed in the pit whole and roughly half were upside down.
Conservation of the cauldrons from Chiseldon involves micro-excavation from its soil block in the conservation lab at the British Museum. The plaster bandages and clingfilm barrier layer used to support the fragile object during lifting and transport are gradually cut away. Soil is removed from around the object in layers using small dental tools and scalpels. Each stage of the process carefully recorded with photographs and drawings. The position of any detached fragments of metal or analytical sample was noted and then removed. The bowl of the first cauldron to be examined is formed of a single sheet of copper-alloy, less than one millimetre thick, hammered to shape.
The composition of the metal will be analysed to determine if the cauldrons were manufactured using the same metal stock. If the same metal stock was used it could indicate that the cauldrons were manufactured specifically for burial. Or, it may be that a number of existing cauldrons were collected together.
We know through repairs on the iron rim that at least one of the cauldrons was used, and through excavation will determine whether the others were used as well.
- Unearthing and conserving an Iron Age feast From find to conservation
- Chiseldon cauldron Video The excavation and conservation of an Iron Age cauldron.